Level 1 Implementation Support Specialist

Applications are accepted year-round.

Lock in the current price by applying before May 9! 

Advance your career with our Level 1 Implementation Support Specialist certification which focuses on the foundational elements of applying implementation science to design, implement, spread, and scale change.

Learning Objectives

After obtaining the Level 1 certification, you will be able to:

  • Use data to critically reflect on the problem

  • Use evidence and theory to select change strategies

  • Assess context, readiness, and fit

  • Facilitate and support implementation

  • Use a framework to guide evaluation of implementation quality 

  • Plan for sustainability, spread, and scale

Level 1 Application Form

Please submit an application form so we can learn more about you and confirm next steps.

If you’re not sure which option is right for you, read about the certification process below.

If you have any questions, contact us!

Certification Process

#1 Courses & Assignments

Courses

In order to complete the the Level 1 certification, you must complete the following two courses:

⚠️ Courses do not need to be completed within a set time frame to count towards the certificate. Each course has its own 1-year access period.

Assignments (Assessment Component #1)

Each course has a set number of required assignments to be submitted.

You’ll be able to draw on experience from your own work and apply key course concepts to complete these assignments, such as assessing barriers and facilitators to change, change strategies, determining readiness and fit, and planning for sustainability. If you’re not actively working on a project, you’ll have the opportunity to work through case examples.

⚠️ If you already completed your assignments for both required Level 1 courses and received certificates of completion, you are required to re-submit your assignments for this assessment component. You are welcome to make changes to your assignments prior to submitting them at this stage.

#2 Assessment Questions

After completing both courses and submitting your assignments, you will receive Assessment Component #2 on your selected date — a set of 10 questions to respond to that cover content from both required Level 1 courses.

To help you better understand and respond to what is being asked, each question includes a:

  • Question type (e.g., explanation, scenario, or reflection)

  • Audience type — the type of audience you are responding to;

  • Response format (e.g. written response, audio or video recording); and

  • Evaluation criteria

Your responses will be due one month after you receive the set of questions.

#3 Evaluation & Grading

Assessment Component #1: Assignments

We will be reviewing all Level 1 course assignments to determine if your responses meet the quality level of a Certified Level 1 Implementation Support Specialist. 

⚠️ You will be asked to revise and resubmit any responses that do not meet this quality level.

Assessment Component #2: Assessment Questions

Your responses will receive one of three grades: 1 = Strong response; 2 = Adequate response; or 3 = Needs improvement

You must receive a grade of 1 or 2 on all questions. You will be asked to revise and resubmit any responses that received a grade of 3.

⚠️ Note that we will review your assessment components within 6 weeks of the due date.

#4 Follow-up Questions

This part of the process is to provide you an opportunity to update and refine your assignments and assessment responses, if:

  • Your assignments from Assessment Component #1 have not met the expected quality level; and/or 

  • You have received a grade of 3 in one or more of your Assessment Component #2 responses

If applicable, you will be sent follow-up questions and will be asked to submit any responses that you have been asked to revise within two weeks.

#5 Certificate & Badge

You’ll be awarded your certificate and digital badge within 6 weeks of submitting your revised responses. We will also be in touch with you to compile your details for our online directory.

Benefits of becoming certified

This was the first certificate ever available for implementation support specialists — and the number of certificates for this role keeps growing — which shows just how in-demand this skillset is.

After completing the Level 1 certification process, you’ll receive a Level 1 Implementation Support Specialist digital certificate and badge.

You’ll also have the option to be featured in our online directory of certified Level 1 Implementation Support Specialists where you can include a short bio, contact information, and social media profiles.

Pricing options

We have several pricing options available depending on whether you’ve completed Level 1 courses.

The prices below are valid until May 8, 2024. Starting on May 9, each Level 1 course is increasing by $55.

Please note all prices below do not include applicable sales tax. This amount will be calculated based on your location when completing payment.

Option 1
Ideal for new course participants		 Option 2
Past L1 course participants only		 Option 3
Past L1 course participants only		 Option 4
Past L1 course participants only
Not yet enrolled in any required course Completed both required courses Completed both required courses Completed one of the
required courses
ー Did not submit all assignments for both required courses Submitted all assignments for
both required courses		 Submitted all assignments for the completed course
+ Full access (1-year) to both
required courses		 + Short term access to both
required courses		 No additional access
to required courses		 + Full access (1-year) to remaining required course
+ Level 1 Assessments & Evaluation + Level 1 Assessments & Evaluation + Level 1 Assessments & Evaluation + Level 1 Assessments & Evaluation
$1050 USD | 1386 CAD $535 USD | 695 CAD $375 USD | 495 CAD $675 USD | 891 CAD
Apply now! Apply now! Apply now! Apply now!

  • Option 1 Pricing Breakdown:

    *Additional discounts are available for StrategEase: The HOW of Creating Sustainable Change:


    **70% discount for individuals in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank is available for the Certificate Assessments and Evaluation.



    Option 2 Pricing Breakdown:

    **70% discount for individuals in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank is available for the Certificate Assessments and Evaluation.



    Option 3 Pricing Breakdown:

    • Certificate Assessment and Evaluation: $375 USD / $495 CAD**


    **70% discount for individuals in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank is available for the Certificate Assessment and Evaluation.



    Option 4 Pricing Breakdown:

    *Alternative discounts are available for the Level 1 course:

    • 30% off for full-time students

    • 70% off for individuals in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank

    **70% discount for individuals in low- and middle-income countries as defined by the World Bank is available for the Certificate Assessments and Evaluation.

Lock in the current price by applying before May 9! 

Starting on May 9, our Level 1 courses are increasing by $55.

Why? We're a small team that focuses many of our resources on bringing you high-quality content and support through our courses. As we haven't increased our prices in years, this change enables us to maintain the quality we're known for, plus make improvements based on your feedback. (And we’ll continue to offer different types of discounts!)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • If you’ve taken one of the required courses, you have 2 routes you can take:

    1) You can enroll in the other course when it’s offered to the general public (see timelines below), and then select Option 3 for the Level 1 certification at a later date:

    StrategEase: The How of Creating Sustainable Change is open for enrollment year-round

    Implementation, Spread, and Scale is open for enrollment every March.

    OR

    2) You can move forward with Option 4, which allows you to take either course if coupled with the Level 1 Assessments and Evaluation

  • The time it takes to complete the Level 1 certification varies greatly as it can depend on multiple factors, such as participants' schedules, individual rates of comprehension and application, how much background work is being done for the assignments, the complexity of the follow-up questions, etc.

    The following are estimates for each part of the process:

    Courses + Assessment Component #1 (Course assignments)

    • Both Level 1 courses contain 6 modules and are accessible for 1 year. There are no live components, so they can be completed on your own schedule and at your own pace.

    • We anticipate the time commitment to be approximately 3 hours per module, which includes time for completing the assignments which are about directly relating the content back to your own work, so the amount of time will vary depending on how much background work you do.

    Estimated total: 36 hours for both courses combined. 

    Assessment Component #2 (Set of 10 questions) - Initial responses

    • You will have 1 month from the date you receive these questions to submit your responses. We estimate this may take an average of 8-10 hours although some participants have noted it took them closer to 15 hours. A factor to consider is the time you may need to refer back to the courses as you complete the questions, if applicable. 

    Estimated total: 10 hours.

    First TCI Evaluation Period: 6 weeks

    Once our evaluators have reviewed your course assignments and 10 questions, we will send the results back to you, noting which assignments and responses to revise.

    Assessment Component #2 (Set of 10 questions) - Responses to follow-up questions

    • You will have 2 weeks from the date you receive your results to submit your revisions.  The number of hours for this step will vary as it depends on your individual results. Some participants may have minimal assignment revisions and follow-up questions to respond to, while others may have more.

    Estimated total: Not available.

    Second TCI Evaluation Period: 6 weeks

    Once our evaluators have reviewed your revised responses, you will then be notified that you have successfully completed the certification unless additional revisions are needed.

  • If you have taken the previous version of either course, you do not need to retake the new version. You can opt to select Option 3 if you submitted the assignments for both courses when you originally took them.

    Alternatively, you can select Option 2, which will provide you with short-term access to the courses if you want a refresher in order to assist you in completing the assessment components.

  • Option 3 (i.e., Level 1 Certificate Assessments and Evaluation) is only available if you are currently enrolled in OR have already completed both StrategEase: The HOW of Creating Sustainable Change (formerly Designing for Implementation) and Implementation, Spread, and Scale.

  • You are welcome to move through the course content as a team- however, all course assignments, as well as the final assessment process (and any requests for revisions), must be completed individually. This is so we can assess each person's specific knowledge and skills.

    In terms of payment and fees, if there are at least 3 members in your team, you can receive a 20% group discount on both Level 1 courses. Team members can register individually or we can combine fees into one payment. Each team member would receive their own individual login to access the courses in either case.

    To begin the process, we ask that each team member completes an application form, noting their organization when prompted.

  • This increase of $55 will help us maintain the standard of quality that we’re known for, ensuring that you receive the best learning experience possible while also allowing us to implement enhancements based on your valuable feedback. We’ll continue to offer discounts, which range from 20% to 70%.

Have any questions?
Contact us.

Note: The process and requirements are subject to change. However, anyone who obtains the certificate will maintain their certificate even if the criteria change.